The 2006 Hyundai Elantra has 155 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 1 recall on record. The most-reported areas are air bags and exterior lighting. Owners most often flag major engine failure (requiring replacement): reports of engines failing or needing replacement at low mileage (e.g., 50,000 miles/80,000 km). linked to oil consumption and rod bearing failures in certain engines (e.g., theta ii), though not all elantra engines are covered by related recalls. frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2006 Hyundai Elantra vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 17 Elantra model years we track, complaint volume runs from 60 (1998) to 2,616 (2013). With 155 complaints, the 2006 Elantra sits belowthe model's median of 315.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
exterior lighting
Campaign 09V280000HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR …
Sentiment is sharply divided and heavily dependent on model year and powertrain. Long-term owner reports for older generations (pre-2011) with specific engines like the Beta II describe exceptional, Corolla-like reliability with examples…
Owner insights cover all generations of the Elantra. See the full Elantra owner picture and every model year.
Used Elantra listings typically run $20,931–$22,651 across 2017 to 2026 model years.
Compare every Elantra year side by side to see how 2006 ranks against the rest.